TPT November 2007

Industry News

setting up production in Russia and working with Russian suppliers. The conference will be followed by an official visit to Tenneco and Intercos IV in St Petersburg. A partner to the St Petersburg event, the inaugural AutoUkraine 2008 conference will take place in Kiev on 29 January, 2008. With over 100 delegates expected, the conference is designed to attract an international audience of automotive professionals from OEMs, T1s and T2 suppliers in Ukraine, Russia and globally. WBR Ltd – UK Fax : +44 207 368 9401 Email : amir.sebahat@wbr.co.uk Website : www.wbr.co.uk/autorussia

Twin events for the automotive industries in Ukraine and Russia

AutoRussia 2007 – an international forum for the Russian and international automotive industry – will take place for the third time from 4-5 December at the Astoria Hotel, St Petersburg, Russia. Over 300 senior representatives will attend the event, including leading figures in Russia’s automotive manufacturing sector. Representatives will attend from leading OEM projects based in the St Petersburg area – Russia’s main region for automobile production, as well as senior representatives from international auto OEMs and T1s around the world. OEM projects in St Petersburg include General Motors, Suzuki, Avtovaz, Ford, Toyota and dozens of their key suppliers. Keynote addresses will be given by Mr Maxim Sokolov, chairman, committee for strategic projects & investments, city of St Petersburg, and Mr Grigory Dvas, vice governor, economy & investment, government of Leningrad region. They will set out plans to further attract automotive investors in and around St Petersburg.

Roundtable discussions on 4 December will focus on sourcing and supplier localization in Russia, with top purchasing and supply chain executives available to answer delegate questions. These and other issues will be addressed by senior representatives of Lear, Tenneco, Intercos IV. Senior purchasing and supply chain professionals will also be on hand from General Motors Russia. Two new projects will also be represented on the speaker panel. Stadco and Magna/ GAZ joint venture will both speak about their strategies, plans and progress in

fi St Petersburg – the automobile manufacturing capital of Russia, and host to AutoRussia 2007

Linde Group continues its growth trend The Linde Group, an industrial and medical gases company, has achieved double-digit growth in sales and operating profit in the first six months of 2007. This confirms the company’s forecast for the year with a further increase in sales expected. It is also in line with the company’s aim for the coming years: Linde has set itself a medium-term target of a €3 billion plus operating profit for the 2010 financial year. Linde’s sales in the six months ending 30 June 2007 increased by 12.7 per cent to €5.888 billion (2006: €5.223 billion). The Linde Group also achieved significant growth in earnings. Operating profit (EBITDA) in the first six months of the year rose to €1.158 billion (2006: €1.010 billion), representing an increase of 14.7 per cent. In a global market environment which remained stable, sales in the gases division rose in the first six months of 2007 by 8.1 per cent to €4.553 billion (2006: €4.212 billion). On a comparable basis, the global gases business of the Linde Group grew by 7.9 per cent. The highest sales increases were reported in South America and the Asia/Pacific region. As confirmation of Linde’s success, the company has recently won a €100mn contract from Skangass for the turnkey supply of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) production plant for a site in Risavika, near Stavanger, Norway.

Linde AG – Germany Fax : +49 611 770 269 • Email : info@linde.com • Website : www.linde.com

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N ovember /D ecember 2007